Combination totebag and towel having an advertising medium and method of making the same

ABSTRACT

A combination totebag and mat are disclosed formed from a generally rectangular-shaped towel having an upper edge and a plurality of panels, each panel having an upper edge, attached to the towel. The upper edge of the towel is substantially adjacent to the upper edges of the panels. A first panel is attached to the towel along all four edges. A second, third and fourth panel are attached to the first panel along three edges, leaving the upper edge open to form pockets between the panels. As such, there is a pocket formed between the first and second panel, the second and third panel, and the third and fourth panel. When the towel is in the unfolded position, the panels are underneath the towel and hidden from view. To place the towel in the totebag, the towel is folded back onto itself such that it is substantially overlying the fourth panel and is substantially the shape and size of the fourth panel. The pocket between the third and fourth panel is then inverted, substantially enclosing the towel in the totebag. As such, one may place articles in the other pockets, and there is reduced fear of these articles falling out due to the depth and placement of these pockets. Indicia, such as advertising, can be displayed on the towel and on at least one of the panels, such that when the towel is placed inside the totebag, at least one of the outer panels of the totebag displays advertising.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to beach gear and, more particularly, acombination totebag and towel, for sunbathing and the like, which isconveniently portable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Combination beach towels and hand bags which attempt to facilitatetraveling to and from the beach are known. One such combination hand bagand towel, or mat, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,111 to Hall. Thiscombination handbag and mat is useful for traveling to and from thebeach by reducing the number of separate items one must carry. Forexample, the handbag, sometimes called a totebag, is suitable forcontaining the towel and it has at least one pocket in which to placeother personal items such as sunglasses and suntan lotion.

This Hall totebag, however, has drawbacks. One drawback is that thepocket for containing personal items is located on the outside of thebag. As such, the contents of the pocket can easily and undesirably beemptied when folding or placing the towel in the bag. As such, the useris sometimes forced to empty the pocket before inserting the towel intothe bag.

A second drawback associated with this handbag is that the pocketextends only a short distance up a wall of the handbag. Consequently,the volume of the pocket is not as large as may be desired.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,668 to Grayek attempts to overcome some of thedeficiencies of the prior art by disclosing pockets which extend thelength of the handbag, as shown in FIG. 11 of the patent. The '668patent has a drawback in that, when the towel is expanded into aposition for a person to sit, the seams and the cords of the totebag areplainly noticeable, regardless of which side of the towel is placedadjacent to the beach or other surface, thus revealing to passersby thelocation of the totebag. As such, the location of valuable personalitems such as keys and money can be revealed.

The known combination handbag and towels have a further drawback in thatthey are generally not used as advertising media in the fullest possiblemanner. Because at least some beaches tend to be very crowded during thesummer and beachgoers oftentimes stay at the beach for long periods oftime, advertisers are not taking the fullest possible advantage of everyopportunity to display advertising.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide acombination totebag and towel that has at least one pocket such that thecontents of the pocket do not easily spill when removing or insertingthe towel into the totebag. It is also an object to provide at least onepocket that is fabricated from water resistant or waterproof fabric, andcapable of being closed with a zipper.

It is another object of the invention to provide a combination totebagand towel that has at least one pocket that extends substantially theentire length of a panel of the totebag.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide acombination totebag and towel such that the totebag is substantiallyhidden from view when the towel is placed face-up on the surface of abeach or the like.

It is a further object to provide a combination totebag and towel,wherein both the totebag and towel have at least one surface areasuitable for advertising or other printed indicia such as a photographor the name of a resort.

To overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to achieve the objectslisted above, a combination totebag and towel is disclosed, comprising:a sheet of readily foldable material, such as a towel, having a lengthand width sized to define a mat in the unfolded position, the mat havingan upper edge; and a plurality of panels, each panel having an upperedge and three side edges. The upper edge of each panel is substantiallyaligned with the upper edge of the mat. Various edges of each panel areattached to the mat and each other so as to form a plurality of pocketstherebetween.

In particular, the upper edge of a first panel is substantially adjacentto upper edge of the mat and, preferably, is attached to the mat along aplurality of its edges. Preferably, the first panel is attached to themat along at least two edges, and most preferably, is attached along theupper edge and all three side edges of the panel. A second panel isattached to the first panel along a plurality of side edges of the firstpanel (most preferably all three) and a plurality of side edges of thesecond panel (most preferably all three) such that a first pocket isformed between the second panel and the first panel.

A third panel is attached to the second panel along a plurality of sideedges of the third panel (most preferably all three) and a plurality ofside edges of the second panel (most preferably all three) such that asecond pocket is formed between the second panel and the third panel.

A fourth panel is attached to the third panel along a plurality of sideedges of the third panel (most preferably all three) and a plurality ofside edges of the fourth panel (most preferably all three). As such, athird pocket is formed between the third and fourth panel. The thirdpocket, in the preferred embodiment, is sufficiently large to containthe mat when the mat is in a folded position.

The mat should be capable of being folded until its length and width areno greater than and substantially equal to the first panel in size andshape, whereby the third pocket formed between the third and fourthpanels can be inverted so as to enclose the mat in the totebag. A snapfastener or other fastener holds the panels together to close the bagand facilitate carrying.

An adjustable strap is secured to at least a portion of the upper edgeof at least one of the panels to facilitate carrying the totebag. Thestrap includes a buckle and has a sufficient length that it can be usedas a handle or a shoulder strap. In the preferred embodiment, the strapis attached, by stitching, to one of the panels.

In the preferred embodiment, fastening means are provided for closing atleast one of the pockets. More preferably, at least one of the pockets,such as the first pocket, can be closed by a zipper. That is, a firstrow of teeth extend along the upper edge of the first panel, a secondrow of cooperating teeth extend along the upper edge of the secondpanel, and a slider moves along the rows of teeth to open and close thefirst pocket.

In the preferred embodiment, the mat and at least one of the panelscomprise material suitable for displaying indicia, such as advertising.Preferably, the advertising on the panel is on a side of the panel suchthat when the third pocket is inverted, the indicia is displayed. In thepreferred embodiment, the indicia is shown on either the third or fourthpocket, or both. The advertising on the mat can be related to theadvertising on the panel, as desired.

In the preferred embodiment, the mat is folded in the following mannerso as to form the totebag. First, the mat, when unfolded, is face-up tothe user, and overlying the panels. The mat is then folded along foldlines traversing the length of the mat such that the width of the mat issubstantially equal to the width of the panels. The mat is then foldedback onto itself until it is substantially the size and shape of thepanels. When properly folded, the mat is positioned over the firstpanel.

The third pocket, formed between the third and fourth panels, is theninverted while pulling the pocket around the mat. When the third pocketis completely inverted, the mat is substantially enclosed within thetotebag.

When the totebag is inverted, the first and second pockets remainaccessible to a user. Further, because the first and second pockets maybe closed with fasteners, the contents of the first and second pocketsdo not undesirably fall out while inverting the totebag. Preferably, azipper is used to close one of the pockets.

The invention and its particular features and advantages will becomemore apparent from the following detailed description when consideredwith reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination totebag and towel with anattached handle, wherein the towel is in the folded position and neatlycontained within the totebag, and showing a panel displaying indicia,such as advertising;

FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the totebag shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the totebag shown in FIG. 1, with thehandle partially broken away for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the totebag containing a towel in afolded position, taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3, with the handlepartially broken away;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the totebag taken along line 5--5 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the towel removed from the totebag and in theunfolded position defining a mat upon which one can lie;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the totebag with the attached towel in theunfolded position, similar to FIG. 6, showing fold lines;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the totebag in the unfolded positionand showing the underlying panels, and with the handle partially brokenaway; and

FIGS. 9-14 show steps of folding the towel for proper insertion into thetotebag and inverting one of the pockets, such that the towel iscontained within the totebag and the advertising is displayed on theoutside of the totebag when properly completed, showing the handlepartially broken away in FIGS. 12-14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring to the drawings in detail, a combination totebag and mat isshown and generally designated by the reference numeral 10. It should benoted that for the sake of clarity all the components and parts oftotebag 10 may not be shown and/or marked in all the drawings. As usedin this description, the terms "up", "down", "top", "bottom" etc. ,refer to the combination totebag and mat 10 (sometimes referred toherein as "totebag" for convenience) when in the orientation illustratedin FIG. 1. Furthermore, as used in this description, the terms "front"and "back" also refer to the combination totebag and mat 10 when in theorientation illustrated in FIG. 1, with "front" indicating the panel oftotebag 10 displaying indicia and "back" indicating the opposite panelof the combination totebag and mat 10. It will be understood, however,that totebag 10 can assume any orientation when in use.

Combination totebag and mat 10 comprises, as best shown in FIGS. 6-9, amat 12. Mat 12 comprises a single piece of foldable sheet material, suchas a towel, terry cloth material, or blanket, 12. It should beunderstood that any suitable material may be used for mat 12, such as amoisture-resistant material, for example a plastic, ormoisture-absorbing fabric. In the preferred embodiment, towel 12 is madeof material suitable for displaying indicia. Suitable materials includeall-cotton materials and cotton-blend materials, which are generallyknown in the art.

For convenience, mat 12 may be referred to herein as a towel, but itshould be understood that a plurality of fabrics or materials could besubstituted.

Towel 12, in its unfolded position, is generally rectangular in shapeand has a length "L" and a width "W". See FIG. 6. It should beunderstood that the length and width may be any suitable dimension suchthat, in its folded position, towel 12 fits properly within totebag 10,and in its unfolded position, towel 12 provides ample room for itsintended purpose i.e., sitting or lying. In the unfolded position, towelor mat 12 may take on any suitable size and shape, as desired, dependingupon its intended usage, such as for a single adult, or multiple adults,a single child, multiple children, etc.

Mat 12 has upper edge 14 and side edges 16, 18, 20, best shown when mat12 is in the unfolded position. See FIG. 6. Mat or towel 12 further hasa front side 21 and a back side 23. As used herein, front side 21 refersto that side of the mat 12 upon which one would generally lie, andwhich, in the preferred embodiment, displays some indicia, such as 25.

As best shown in FIG. 8, combination totebag and mat 10 furthercomprises a plurality of panels 22, 24, 26, 28. Panels 22, 24, 26, 28are located on back side 23 (FIG. 6) of mat 12, such that when mat 12 isin the unfolded position, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, panels 22, 24, 26, 28are substantially hidden from view. In FIG. 6, panels 22, 24, 26, 28 areshown in dashed lines to indicate their position on backside 23 of towel12.

Panels 22, 24, 26, 28, shown in FIG. 8, can be made of any suitablesturdy cloth of sufficient durability to, preferably, withstand harshsurfaces as may be found on the beach or ground. Preferably, panels 22and 24 are made of nylon or other water-resistant material. Preferably,panels 26 and 28 are made of cotton sheeting or polyester twill.However, panels 22, 24, 26 and 28 can be made from any suitable fabricor material. In the preferred embodiment, at least one of the panels,most preferably third panel 26 or fourth panel 28, is made of materialsuitable for displaying indicia, such as 27 (FIGS. 1, 6, 7). Suitablematerial for displaying indicia includes all-cotton materials andcotton-blend materials, which are generally known in the art.

Panels 22, 24, 26, 28 are generally rectangular in shape. Each panel 22,24, 26, 28 generally has the same dimensions, such as a length "LP" andwidth "WP". See FIG. 6. Each panel has four substantially straightedges, one edge of which is an upper edge.

First panel 22 has upper edge 30 and three side edges 29, 31, 33 andupper edge 30 of first panel 22 is substantially adjacent to upper edge14 of mat 12. See FIG. 6. First panel 22 is attached to mat 12,preferably, along a plurality of edges of panel 22, and, mostpreferably, is attached along all edges 29, 30, 31, 33 of mat 12. SeeFIGS. 4, 8. Panel 22 may be attached by any suitable means, such as bystitching, or through the use of adhesives, VELCRO fasteners, snaps, andthe like.

Second panel 24 has upper edge 32 and three side edges (not shown). Itshould be understood that side edges of second panel 24 are blocked fromview in FIG. 6, because the location of first panel 22. Upper edge 32 ofsecond panel 24 is, preferably, substantially adjacent to upper edge 30of first panel 22. Second panel 24 is attached to first panel 22 along aplurality of edges and is, most preferably, attached along the threeside edges of the first panel 22 and the three side edges of the secondpanel 24. Any method of attachment may be used, and as many edges may beattached, so long as first pocket 34 is formed between second panel 24and first panel 22. See FIG. 8. Suitable alternatives include VELCROfasteners, adhesives, snaps and the like. Preferably, pocket 34 iswaterproof and panels 22 and 24 are made from water resistant nylon, andthe pocket is closed by a zipper 44.

Third panel 26 has upper edge 36 and three side edges, such as 35 (FIG.3). Upper edge 36 of third panel 26 is substantially adjacent to upperedge 32 of second panel 24, when mat 12 is in the unfolded position.Third panel 26 is attached to second panel 24 along a plurality of sideedges of the third panel 26 and a plurality of side edges of the secondpanel 24. Preferably, three side edges of each panel are attached.Again, any method of attachment may be used, and as many edges attached,such that a second pocket 38 (FIG. 8) is formed between the second panel24 and third panel 26. Suitable alternatives include VELCRO fasteners,adhesives, snaps, and the like.

Fourth panel 28 has upper edge 40 and three side edges, such as 41(FIGS. 13, 14), the upper edge 40 of fourth panel 28 being substantiallyadjacent to upper edge 36 of third panel 26, when mat 12 is in theunfolded position. Fourth panel 28 is attached to third panel 26 suchthat a third pocket 42 (FIG. 8) is formed between third and fourthpanel, 26, 28, respectively, third pocket 42 being sufficiently large tocontain mat or towel 12 when mat 12 is in a folded position, as shown inFIG. 1. Third and fourth panels 26, 28 may be attached in any suitableway. Most preferably, a plurality of edges, preferably three, of thirdpanel 26 and a plurality, preferably three, of side edges of fourthpanel 28 are attached to each other, by methods such as stitching,VELCRO fasteners, adhesives, snaps and the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, fastening means are provided for closing thepockets, such as first pocket 34, such that the contents containedtherein do not spill undesirably. Any suitable means will suffice suchas a zipper, snaps, buttons or the like. For example, first pocket 34(FIG. 8), formed by first panel 22 and second panel 24 is closed byzipper 44 having a first row of teeth 46 formed along at least upperedge 30 of panel 22, a second row of teeth 48 formed along at leastupper edge 32 of second panel 24, and slider 50 cooperating with firstand second rows of teeth 46, 48, respectively, for joining the rowstogether, as desired, so as to open and close first pocket 34.

It should be noted that if a zipper, such as 44, were extended toadditional edges, then those edges would not be attached to a panel toform a pocket.

In addition, the combination totebag and mat 10 may be closed, when mat12 is in a folded position, by cooperating snaps 58, 60. See FIGS. 1, 3,12.

Combination totebag and mat 10 further comprises an adjustable strap 52,secured to at least a portion of the upper edge of at least one of thepanels, such as upper edge 36 of third panel 26. In the preferredembodiment, strap 52 is made of a sturdy cotton-blend material orpolypropolene webbing. Strap 52 can be adjusted by any suitable meanssuch as by a conventional buckle 54, best shown in FIG. 1. In apreferred form, the strap has a length sufficient to function as ahandle or a shoulder strap.

In the preferred embodiment, the combination totebag and mat 10 displaysindicia. Most preferably, the indicia is advertising and the advertisingis shown on front side 21 of mat 12 at 25 and either or both of frontside 62 of third panel 26 and/or front side 56 of fourth panel 28 oftotebag 10 at 27. See FIGS. 1, 6. If desired, the advertising on thepanel can be related to, or coordinated with, the advertising on towel12. For example, one could show a beach scene on front side 21 of towel12 and a sunscreen lotion logo on front side 56 (FIG. 13) of fourthpanel 28. In certain instances a high quality printed photographic imagecan be placed on the towel and the bag using a process developed byapplicant's assignee and sold under the MATRIX Grand.

It should be understood that indicia 27 can be displayed on front side56 of fourth panel 28, or front side 62 of third panel 26, or both.Indicia may be displayed on any panel so long as the indicia isdisplayed when third pocket 42 is inverted.

In the preferred embodiment, the combination totebag and mat 10 isconverted from the unfolded position, shown in FIG. 6, to the foldedposition, shown in FIG. 1, in the following manner so as to form thecombination totebag and mat 10. First, mat 12, when unfolded, has faceside 21 facing the user. As such, mat 12 overlies panels 22, 24, 26, 28and substantially hides them from view of passersby. See FIGS. 6, 7.

Mat 12 is then folded, in the direction of the arrows in FIG. 7, alongfold lines F1 and F2 traversing the length L of mat 12 such that thewidth of mat 12 in the folded position is substantially equal to thewidth "WP" (FIG. 6) of panels 22, 24, 26, 28. See FIGS. 9-11. Mat 12 isthen folded back onto itself, along foldlines F3, F4, F5, as shown inFIGS. 7, 9, 10, until mat 12 is substantially the size and shape ofpanels 22, 24, 26, 28, as shown in FIG. 11. When properly folded, mat 12is substantially the size and shape of first panel 22 and issubstantially positioned over first panel 22, as shown in FIG. 11.Preferably, the towel or mat is face up when folded.

Third pocket 42, formed between third and fourth panels, 26, 28,respectively, is then inverted, in the direction of the arrows, whilepulling third pocket 42 around folded mat 12. See FIGS. 12-14. Whenthird pocket 42 is completely inverted, mat 12 is substantially enclosedwithin the combination totebag and mat 10, as best shown in FIGS. 1, 3.When inverted, indicia 27 is clearly visible.

When totebag 10 is inverted, first and second pockets 34, 38 remainaccessible to a user. Further, because first and second pockets 34, 38may be closed with fasteners, the contents of first and second pockets34, 38 do not undesirably fall out while inverting totebag 10, as shownin FIGS. 12-14.

It should be understood that the totebag and mat 10 described herein hasbeen described in terms of beach gear for convenience only. Totebag andmat 10 can be used anywhere one would like to sit or lie upon a mat.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that obviousmodifications can be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention. Accordingly, reference should be made primarily to theaccompanying claims, rather than the foregoing specification, todetermine the scope of the invention.

I claim:
 1. A combination totebag and mat comprising:a sheet of readilyfoldable material having a predetermined length and width sized todefine a mat such that the lower edge of the mat extends below the loweredge of the first panel the mat having an upper edge and a lower edge; atotebag comprising:a first panel having an upper edge a lower edge andat least three side edges, the upper edge of the first panel beingsubstantially adjacent to the upper edge of the mat, the first panelbeing attached to the mat along at least two edges of the panel; asecond panel having an upper edge and three side edges, the upper edgeof the second panel being substantially adjacent to the upper edge ofthe first panel, the second panel being attached to the first panelalong the at least two side edges of the first panel and the three sideedges of the second panel such that a first pocket is formed between thesecond panel and the first panel; a third panel having an upper edge andthree side edges, the upper edge of the third panel being substantiallyadjacent to the upper edge of the second panel, the third panel beingattached to the second panel along the three side edges of the thirdpanel and the three side edges of the second panel such that a secondpocket is formed between the second panel and the third panel; and afourth panel having an upper edge and three side edges, the upper edgeof the fourth panel being substantially adjacent to the upper edge ofthe third panel, the fourth panel being attached to the third panelalong the three side edges of the third panel and the three side edgesof the fourth panel such that a third pocket is formed between the thirdand fourth panels, the third pocket formed between the third and fourthpanels being open along the upper edge of the third and fourth panels,the third pocket being sufficiently large to contain the mat when themat is folded; and whereby at least one of the pockets, when inverted,substantially encloses the mat in the totebag.
 2. The combinationtotebag and mat of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable strapsecured to at least a portion of the upper edge of at least one of thepanels, the strap being adjustable to be a handle or a shoulder strap.3. The combination totebag and mat of claim 1, further comprisingfastening means for closing at least one of the pockets, and wherein atleast one of the pockets is waterproof.
 4. The combination totebag andmat of claim 1, wherein the mat and at least one of the panels comprisesmaterial suitable for displaying indicia.
 5. The combination totebag andmat of claim 4, wherein the indicia comprises advertising.
 6. Thecombination totebag and mat of claim 5, wherein the fourth paneldisplays advertising.
 7. The combination totebag and mat of claim 6,wherein the advertising on the mat is related to the advertising on thefourth panel.
 8. The combination totebag and mat of claim 1, the firstand second panels being comprised of water-resistant material, so as toform a water-resistant pocket therebetween, and the pocket beingaccessible through a zipper.
 9. A combination totebag and matcomprising:a sheet of readily foldable material sized to define a matthe mat having an upper edge and a lower edge, a front side and a backside; a plurality of panels, each panel having an upper edge a loweredge and at least two side edges and having dimensions substantiallysmaller than the dimensions of the sheet, the plurality of panelscomprising at least a first panel and a second panel, the first panelattached to the back side of the mat along at least two of the at leasttwo side edges of the first panel and positioned such that the upperedge of the first panel is substantially adjacent to the upper edge ofthe sheet and the lower edge of the sheet extends below the lower edgeof the first panel, and the second panel, attached to the first paneland positioned such that the upper edge of the second panel issubstantially adjacent to the upper edge of the first panel, so as toform a pocket therebetween, the pocket being open along the upper edgeof the first and second panels; and whereby when the pocket is inverted,the mat is substantially enclosed within the pocket of the totebag. 10.The combination totebag and mat of claim 9, further comprising anadjustable strap secured to at least a portion of the upper edge of atleast one of the panels.
 11. The combination totebag and mat of claim 9,further comprising fastening means for closing the pocket.
 12. Thecombination totebag and mat of claim 9, wherein the mat and at least oneof the panels further comprise material suitable for displaying indicia.13. The combination totebag and mat of claim 12, wherein the indiciacomprises advertising.
 14. A combination totebag and mat comprising:areadily foldable towel having a predetermined length and width sized todefine a mat, the towel having an upper edge and a lower edge; a totebagcomprising:a first panel having an upper edge a lower edge and at leasttwo side edges, the upper edge of the first panel being substantiallyadjacent to the upper edge of the towel such that the lower edge of thetowel extends below the lower edge of the first panel, the first panelbeing attached to the towel along a plurality of edges of the panel; asecond panel having an upper edge and three side edges, the upper edgeof the second panel being substantially adjacent to the upper edge ofthe first panel, the second panel being attached to the first panelalong the at least two side edges of the first panel and the three sideedges of the second panel such that a first pocket is formed between thesecond panel and the first panel; a third panel having an upper edge andthree side edges, the upper edge of the third panel being substantiallyadjacent to the upper edge of the second panel, the third panel beingattached to the second panel along the three side edges of the thirdpanel and the three side edges of the second panel such that a secondpocket is formed between the second panel and the third panel; and afourth panel having an upper edge and three side edges, the upper edgeof the fourth panel being substantially adjacent to the upper edge ofthe third panel, the fourth panel being attached to the third panelalong the three side edges of the third panel and the three side edgesof the fourth panel such that a third pocket is formed between the thirdand fourth panels, the third pocket being open along the upper edge ofthe third and fourth panels, the pocket formed between the third andfourth panels being sufficiently large to contain the towel when thetowel is folded; the pocket formed between the third and fourth panels,when inverted, substantially encloses the towel in the totebag; andfastening means for closing at least one of the first and second pocketssuch that any items contained within the at least one of the first andsecond pockets remains within the respective pocket when the thirdpocket is inverted.
 15. The combination totebag and mat of claim 14,further comprising an adjustable strap secured to at least a portion ofthe upper edge of at least one of the panels.
 16. The combinationtotebag and mat of claim 14, wherein the towel and at least one of thepanels comprise material suitable for displaying indicia.
 17. Thecombination totebag and mat of claim 16, wherein the indicia comprisesadvertising.
 18. The combination totebag and mat of claim 17, whereinthe fourth panel displays advertising.
 19. A combination totebag and matcomprising:a sheet of readily foldable material having a predeterminedlength and width sized to define a mat the sheet having an upper edgeand a lower edge; and a totebag comprising a plurality of panels, eachof the panels having an upper edge a lower edge and at least two sideedges and having dimensions substantially smaller than the dimensions ofthe sheet, the panels positioned on one side of the sheet, at least oneof the panels attached at least partially to the sheet and positionedsuch that the upper edge of the at least one panel is substantiallyadjacent to the upper edge of the sheet and the lower edge of the sheetextends below the lower edge of the at least one panel, and each of theremaining panels attached at least partially to each other and at leastone of the remaining panels being attached to the at least one panelattached to the sheet, at least one pocket formed between adjacentpanels of the plurality of panels, the at least one pocket having anopening defined by the upper edges of the adjacent panels wherein atleast one of the pockets, when inverted, encloses the sheet in thetotebag.
 20. The combination totebag and mat of claim 19, furthercomprising an adjustable strap secured to at least a portion of at leastone of the panels, the strap being adjustable to be a handle or ashoulder strap.
 21. The combination totebag and mat of claim 19, furthercomprising fastening means for closing at least one of the pockets. 22.The combination totebag and mat of claim 19, wherein the mat and atleast one of the panels comprises material suitable for displayingindicia.
 23. The combination totebag and mat of claim 22, wherein theindicia comprises advertising.
 24. The combination totebag and mat ofclaim 19, at least two of the panels being comprised of water-resistantmaterial, so as to form a water-resistant pocket therebetween.